The concept of “welcoming communities” has recently become a useful policy and research framework in which to explore immigrant settlement, integration, and retention. Small, rural, and regional communities often struggle to meet the needs of immigrants and have limited partnerships and capacities in the area of immigrant settlement and integration. Over the past five years, Brandon has received significant increases in immigrant arrivals through the influx of temporary foreign workers employed with Maple Leaf Foods. This chapter provides background information on Brandon’s recent demographic transformation, discusses how the community has moved from serendipity to planned practice regarding service delivery and highlights local immigration and settlement initiatives. Lessons learned from the Brandon case are important for national audiences as governments and rural communities continue to adopt immigration as a mechanism to address labor and demographic challenges.

For more information on the book chapter click here.